5 Irish Soda Bread Recipes to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day

Irish soda bread is an easy to make quick bread that is a staple for St Patrick’s Day celebrations. It’s a great all-purpose bread to make because not only can you put an almost unlimited number of variations on the basic recipe, but it is so easy that anyone can bake it (no matter how intimidated they are by the thought of baking bread). I’ve made traditional soda breads, sweet breads and savory ones, but these are five of my favorite recipes that are sure to be a hit

Traditional Irish Soda Bread is the classic soda bread, made with just four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk. It is quick and versatile, so you can serve it alongside a stew or slather it with butter and jam.

Oats and Honey Irish Soda Breadis a slightly sweeter take on the classic, with oatmeal and honey added to the basic recipe to give it a sweet, nutty flavor and a more tender texture than you’ll find in the traditional recipe. Add raisins and cinnamon to make a great breakfast variation, or keep it plain for a whole grain bread that pairs with savory dishes.

Lemon and Walnut Soda Bread is packed with candied lemon peel and crunchy walnuts. Both the lemon and walnuts go well with the simple buttermilk flavor of the bread, but they also serve to give the loaf a very spring-like flavor. This means that this bread will be received just as well at a springtime or Easter brunch as it will for St Patrick’s Day.

Mini Irish Soda Breads give you an alternative to the large loaves that most soda bread comes in. The mini breads are the size of large scones and are just the right size for a single serving. Like most of these recipes, you can easily put a different flavor twist on this to make the breads sweeter or more savory. No matter how you flavor them, their flavor and short baking time will make them a recipe that you come back to again.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread is definitely a much sweeter twist on soda bread than any of these other recipes. The bread itself has a warm chocolate flavor and it is studded with chocolate chips. You don’t find dessert soda breads very often, but this one is so tasty that it will make you wonder why not. Slather it with Nutella or turn it into french toast to make it even more decadent.